“This was a difficult and painful decision to make,” said [general manager Mitch] Kupchak. “Mike was very hard-working and dedicated, but we felt it was in the best interest of the team to make a change at this time. We appreciate Mike’s efforts and contributions and wish him and his family the best of luck.”

Less than 48 hours ago, Lakers executive vice president Jim Bussgave Brown a vote of confidence. Either Buss was lying through his teeth, or he — or someone around him — had a serious change of heart.

According to TNT’s David Aldridge, Brown’s camp believes the decision to let him go came straight from Lakers owner Jerry Buss and not from his son, Jim, or general manager Kupchak and without any influence from Lakers star guard Kobe Bryant.

While it’s easy to blame the slow start on the Princeton offense that Brown decided to put in this summer, the Lakers actually have played better offensively (where they rank sixth through Thursday’s games) than defensively (23rd). And their problems really lie with their lack of depth; L.A.’s starting lineups — with either Steve Nash or Steve Blake — have outscored their opponents by 35 points over their five games.

But ultimately, it was Brown that took the fall.

Early speculation on possible coaches to replace Brown centers on former Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni, former Lakers assistant (currently with the Indiana Pacers) Brian Shaw, former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and, most prominently, former Lakers coach Phil Jackson. But Aldridge reports that the Lakers are not seriously considering Jackson.

Current Lakers assistant Bernie Bickerstaff will take the reins on an interim basis when the Lakers host the Golden State Warriors tonight. According to Aldridge, the Lakers are still working on a list of possible replacements. Bickerstaff may or may not be on that list.

At last, my dreams came true.. They did not wait for a 1-41 standing.. Nop Eric.. The bench is kinda ok.. It really is the coach.. He deserve to be fired.. Look at his record.. 1-12.. It is also GM’s fault of not acquiring Shaw in the first place..

This is a text book example of why everyone hates the Lakers. Hire superstars, fail, fire the coach after 5 games. They act like they deserve a championship.

Look at the more professional teams just destroy the Lakers. They don’t have a clue about basketball anymore. Whats funny is that in the year 2012 any pro NBA team can be beaten on any night because the league is improved, small market managements have had a long time to study the things large markets do right and wrong.

I feel bad for Kobe, Nash, Gasol, and Howard. They are such great players.

I feel Mike Brown was fired in direct relation to the hay day that the sports media was having with the 2012 Lakers. With the firing of the coach they look like they are making changes but I hate to tell them, the season has already started. Hiring a new coach and treating each game like a practice is going to yield interesting results.

I would be extremely surprised if Phil Jackson accepted. The mention of his name by Kupchek is almost proof that Browns firing was the result of media attention. Fans hear that and theyre like “yeah bring back Phil.”

Can you imagine that conversation? “Phil would you like to coach our team, we have a solid roster, its early in the season we need help. Would you mind tarnishing your record as the most legendary coach ever by accepting our coaching contract”

us as laker fans want phil jackson to come back, we not only want phil jackson, we need phil jackson. he would be the best fit, he would probably install the triangle offense again, which the lakers are used to, and there star player and leader (kobe bryant) is familiar with him and likes him, the lakers need to get jackson, and soon

Going to be a tough year for the lakers. Cool everyone is chanting Phil, but phil would be foolish to come back. It would be way too exhausting for him to ride the roller coaster ride. Bring in shaw and let him have a go. You can bring back the triangle offense, get Kobe involved and bring back show time… But Phil may want the glory and the huge paycheck and buss may want to give the fans what they want.

I’m sorry that Mike Brown has been fired by LAL. I don’t know if he was the right coach for them but he’s a very good person, one of the best in the basketball world, he didn’t deserve that treament. I hope he can be on another bench soon. Anyway, i vote for D’Antoni as new head coach.

thank God that the lakers had finally fired coach brown.
now the lakers should get B. Shaw as their coach.

and also they should waive Cris Duhon and get Rafer Alston as a back up point guard.
they also need a shooting guard like Gilbert Arenas and Eddie House
or i prefer a Power Forward like K. Martin
they should form a deep bench to keep the offense flowing.
if they get Alston and Arenas and if the both of them will get the playing time they need then the lakers are the team to beat and not the heat.

bshaw knows kobe and his weakness.b shaw can adjust in certain situations coz he was a former laker with kobe,and so if there is any coach that would fit into lakers style of play it would be brian shaw.

great job for LA Lakers to fired Brown.. He is not a good coach since in Cleveland…I d don’t like his still of coaching ability… He don’t know how to handle his supper star players… But for me if Brian Shaw would be the Lakers coach its good or back Phil Jackson as a coach they are allot of potential to win again NBA Champions…

Is it me or there are really a bunch of idiots out there?? Who thinks that firing a coach after a 1-4 start is “normal”??
Lakers management say that “it was a painful decision to make”: but early at this time of the season, how can you even think about firing your coach???? So stupid, it’s disgusting and very crazy. With all the newcomers, it’s normal to give a time to adjust and 5 games are nothing, especially when L.A. played only with Nash for 1.5 games.

Honestly, there is no love for coaches! They are the first to have their head cut, even if they are not necessarily the only cause of a team’s troubles!!!

Lol, who ever keeps saying D’Antoni would solve everything is a complete idiot. The Lakers aren’t athletic enough to run a transition offense let alone they can’t even keep a solid consistent defense.. Smh..

LOL, who really deserves that COY award that Mike Brown has Lebron or Mike Brown..? ahhh the Lakers…this season has been along time coming and it will get even better when Dwight Howard walks at the end of the season LOL.

They Need to pay Phil a few million dollars, sign him to a 2 year contract and Phil will take us to the championship. We have a perfect team, were just lacking the coaching staff in the coaching aspect. Bring back Phil and that will add another year to the banners in the Rafters.

Trade Steve Blake. Waive him. Pick up some under rated PG free agents. He is useless to the team. Phil is best. J. Sloan could work. D’Antoni, not a good fit even for the run and gun. (Didn’t win a championship) You can get derek fisher as coach.

I the Lakers are to pick a Coach like this nation picked its President, the answer is clear, the most inexperienced, with the worst reccord but a nice smile, and with a lot of hope this franchise will shine agai.

Buss says Brown is secure….. Kobe is MAD…. hears Buss’s comments – calls up Buss and give him the low down – ie I’m not interested in playing for Brown get rid of him…. Brown get fired. Kobe has that much power.

Next step – D’Antoni, bring Nash off bench and get him to pick n roll with Hill (anyone say next Amare or Gortat), as Blake is doing ok with starters, Lakers just need good offense with the bench unit and Nash with athletic aggressive take it to the hole big is a very proven formula which will keep Nash fresh for playoffs.

nothing will change even if they hired sloan jackson d’antoni or even Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski. This laker team is not a title contender team. they cant even make it to the play offs i think. denver is better than them ^^ real talk

This is the Laker’s way of “doing” something. For now, that means keeping the players they have. Instead of trading Gasol, they are firing Brown. Which means for now, they want to make this experiment of players going.

Either way you go Sloan or D’Antoni, they will go to the playoffs as an elite contender. Not only did D’Antoni always give the Lakers problems in the playoffs but he has the right players for his offense. Sloan also has the right players for his offense. Either way both good decisions.

I never liked the idea of Mike Brown being in L.A.. He was the reason for the Cleveland debacle. The fact is LeBron foresaw that the end result in Cleveland would’ve been an unattained championship. The GM in L.A. was just quicker on his draw, “Nothing personal, just business”.

Betcha Kobe’s got the song “MR. POTATOE HEAD, I MADE YOU!!!” stuck in his head right now HAH!!!

Guy’s, Laker’s and Boston have been schooling the other NBA teams for decades with 33 titles between them, 17 for Boston and 16 for the Lakers. We’ve been making history and breaking records since 1971, it’s like they say, you can’t have the sunshine without the rain. Chicago and every other team who’s won any championships have 6 or less titles, not to mention Miami with 2 HEHEHE!!! It would take Lebron, Bosh, Wade, and Miami 14 straight championship years just to catch up to the Lakers, maybe they can start by trying to beat Chicago’s 6 titles first, baby steps right, but good luck with all that lol, and stick that on your calendar for motivation every year Miami fans…LMFAO!!! Oh yeah, and as far as money goes, I believe they used phrases like “dwarfs all other nba teams” when it comes to the Lakers new TV deal, of oh what was it, only A COUPLE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS over the next couple years I believe :)

that’s right thing lakers did, they should fired him last season.
no matter what to say to mike, he didnt lead lakers to right track, he didnt do well on prinston, and he did not caoch well to his team.

Is the new coach coming in with a new squad or he’s gonna be dealing with that same group of lazy and lousy players? I won’t be long before we fire him too. Those guys need a lot of motivational boosting than anything else.

This is STUPID they played just 5 games and S. Nash only played a full game and he will make a different once he’s a 100%. I just don’t understand why they fired him. First of all it’s not the Coach fault that they are 1-4, it’s becuz they have the worst bench in the NBA. So, I think they just make a stupid mistake. Whoever is the next coach he won’t change a thing becuz they still have the worst bench players.

DH here to let you all know am out in April . I am not going to wait 3 years to run this team . I need it now. An that not going to happen so am out in April . Didn’t ask to come here. (Love me or hate me ) the problem is not Brown . The problem is 24 need to know he is closer to 42 than 24.

How can somebody get a job coaching in the NBA and not be able to coach offense?! WTF? and you have 4 offensive all-stars?
The Lakers admitted they made a huge mistake, and better to do that now than waiting any longer after a complete fail.
He has to be the worst at managing minutes of anyone I’ve ever seen, and that has a lot to do with bench production.
Bickerstaff will do WAY better in the interim – he has the respect of the vets, has been there, and he understands the game in all phases. He could be the best choice at this point. Sloan – no way. D’Antoni – no way. Coach K would be my first choice for the long haul: good man, understands the game, no BS, and plays to the strengths of what he has to work with.
Seriously doubt Phil will – maybe Jenny can probably persuade him… and why isn’t she running the team anyway?

FINALLY Coach Brown is gone. His decisions weren’t in the best interest of the team. He chose the Princeton offense which obviously was a bust and he didn’t do anything about it, all the while the Lakers were suffering with losses. As a Coach what you do for your team has to be effective and in the best interest of the organization. The Princeton offensive was a horrible and ultimately fatal decision for Coach Brown. It cost him his job! Worst decision ever made by a Coach to implement that kind of offense with the type of line up the Lakers have. The Princeton offense strips away positions on the court, so there is no Point Guard, Center, Power Forward, etc. The offense relies on screens, and movement of players until someone eventually is open and can take a shot. Not needed when you have Steve Nash running point, Bryant as your shooting guard, Howard as your center, and Gasol as your forward. There was too much talent on that team to water it down with an offense that stifled the capability of the Lakers. It’s all about doing what works and not imposing your will on a team. Mike Brown should have recognized this and switched up his game plan, but he didn’t. He chose to stick with something that didn’t work. The Lakers worked hard to get Dwight Howard, and before the season is over they have to convince him to stay. Mike Brown was doing way more damage than just hurting the Laker’s record… he wasn’t making a great impression on their new star center, nor was he utilizing Howard for his true potential. With 77 games left in the season not counting tonight’s game against Golden State, the Lakers have enough time to undo the damage and make the playoffs. Diagnosing a problem early and treating it immediately gives the best results. Lakers management fired Coach Brown fairly quickly, and in my opinion it was the right thing to do. The goal is to contend for a title. let’s not make that goal so far out of reach that in the process we also lose a shot at keeping Dwight Howard. A lot was on the line, and much was at stake, and in the end Mike Brown’s decision proved to be detrimental and too risky to the Laker’s and their mission!

The players should be accountable for the loss.
Too bad the coach always takes the fall.

Remember when these Lakers got swept by the Mavs?? 4-0 anyone?!
Did someone put the blame on ‘the Zen Master’??

If Kobe never learns what the word ‘sacrifice and unselfishness’ means and don’t let Nash or Howard get the most touches,
this team is set for disappointment and won’t even get past the first round.
Nash is so eefective when he is orchestrating the offense and gets the ball 70% of the time.
Hate Miami or not but their superstars know how to play off the ball and that’s the key to success.

Sloan is way too old and can’t adapt to the new style of play in the Nba. The Jazz were going downhill fast with Sloan as the coach. If I were the Lakers management I’d pay Phil Jackson whatever it takes to get him to come back and win a couple more championships.

Brown was a humble and decent man. He led Cavaliers twice in the top East Conference only with one great player LB James.Desperate people trying to point the finger in the wrong direction.Kobe,Gasol and Nash are all three corpses.They cannot win the title. Be realistic people.The worst has not arrived yet

D’ANTONI OR BRIAN SHAW, SHAW WORKED WITH PHILL SO HE KNOW THE TRIANGLE VERRY WELL AND EVEN IF STEVE DOSNT FIT IN THE TRIANGLE, HE STILL A BETTER POINT GUARD THEN ANY OTHER THATS RAN WITH THE LAKERS SO I THINK THEY WILL DO GOOD. THATS WHAT I THINK GO LAKERS!!!!!!!! LBJ SU!@#$%KS

to the lebronheat fan, lebron will never be Kobe, Kobe never had to sell out to win and isnt smug about his accomplishments, Lebrons s a sellout who woulda just been all stats at the end of his career and no rings had he not sold out…Kobe has a killer instinct and ia clutch, lbj is a choke artist!

i wish all u people on kobes nuts would realize hes not that good…he can score and thats about it …he cant win without a great coach and great players around him…hes nothing but a crybaby ball hog thats dying to match jordan in rings even tho hes not half of what jordan was

i love all the suggestions the “lakers” should do from people with no coaching background let alone nba level experience. lol clowns, end of the day someone takes the fall for a bad team and brown had to be that guy.

so we all know that people want to see the vet coaches out their but like they said all you need is defense and mike brown offense was working out so just bring in phil jakson even though he doesnt have a good view about talented point guards he will shine some light on the defense and with some possible moves with the bench trading or some great defenders it will be a plus for the lakers to try 2 get someone like ronnie brewer or sefalosha

i dont even like the lakers but OK WE ALL NE THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. winless in the pre season 1-4 start. sometimes players dont fit together but sometimes coaches dont eather. lets face it no one on the lakers is playing there style of game and in this case its the system put in place by BROWN but also he has no control over the superstars he was given.DWIGHT LAUGHT AT HIM WHEN HE WAS ASKED TO GO BACK IN THE GAME. REALLY!!! HE DIDNT HAVE CONTROL OVER KOBE LAST YEAR WHEN WHEN KOBE WAS UNHAPPY EATHER SO YOUR GONE.

oh and dude you can post up dantonis name all you want but hes bad the team will go from 23 to worst on D i say
PHILL,JERRY OR EVEN NATE. Phill and Jerry are 2 of the best in history but if not them i say nate. if he can bring together a beat up blazers team that had a broken down brandon roy and a still developing aldrage i think he will do just fine

While we’re at it, why not get trade for athletic wing player(s). We need one or two more. it’s win now mode ain’t it?
Because anyway we go we need more foot speed. If the Lakers eventually hire Mike D, then we all know its going to be the seven seconds or less offense, we need guys to run along with Nash Kobe is 34 and Metta ain’t really a sprinter at this stage of his career. Nor are Jamison and Blake.

If we go the Sloan way, and the pick and roll master needs more speed since the offense will be moving quite a bit more and his system really has fast breaks as a major concept, Malone was the best running PF of all time not just the pick and roll partner of stockton.

Phil is a great coach but the current collection of players specially for Nash do not really scream Triangle.

At the end of the day, the Lakers need speed, they can’t defend if they can stay with their man. Moreso when opponents are already dunking at the rim with the nearest laker is still at half court or when opposing players slice and navigate the defense as if he was guarded by trees.

Kobe always rely on phil jackson. I remember when jackson step out as a coach and lakers couldnt make it to the playoffs for few season. now for sure he’s asking the Laker management to bring him back. hahahha that’s funny cause he’s nothing without good players and a good coach around him. Lebron made it to the finals with mike brown just so u guys know.

Hopefully they can work a deal with Sloan. As how I see it they (especially Howard & Nash) will thrive on pick & roll & will be very lethal with Kobe, Blake & Meeks on the wings. D’Antoni, if willing, can be the Offensive coordinator & insert his run & gun, just wishful thinking.

D’Antoni’s offense system should work well & get support fm most of the players. However it’ll not be effective during playoffs. Shaw is unproven & no one else can manage the big ego of Kobe or Howard’s carefree style. Sloan will not work, as he’s a small market team work style coach where Kobe will not bite & they don’t hv enough role players to work.

It’s not that he lost 4 out of the first game. That’s understandable since players are new, etc. Its the fact that he adopted an incompatible offense that no one bought into and tried to force feed it. Even if they ‘performed better’ the turnovers and confusion was monumental. And the fact that he STILL didn’t have a working rotation was just said. A player like Jodie Meeks gets 13 mins one game and no mins the next. He was weirdly inconsistent and his ‘big changes’ weren’t big at all. When you have to bank on moving Metta to the bench to play SG!!!…..you just look stupid. Losing with the perception that you know what the hell you are doing is one thing. Losing and it looks like you are completely incompetent and loss…..now that’s a problem.

Brown was a coach of the year and made it to the final with lebron.so where is Kobe Howard and Nash and brown?? It was James.Daniel gibsonn mo Williams and verejao and Mike brown took Cleveland to the final.hahahah it does not matter that they fired him they are going nowhere.

Lakers too old for run & gun. Mike Brown put himself under the bus he chose which members of the bench to put in and the ballboy could have put together a better bench squad with its current players. Meeks & Duhon have a lot to offer but are never given the chance, too bad we have already lost Goudlock to Browns attitude. If you think brown was thrown under the bus you don’t know this team (Neither did he).

To got fired so quickly is ridiculous. Ok I agree that M. Brown is not the best coach in NBA, but this team never had a chance to play at full strength: D. Howard not so long ago finished rehab. and S. Nash got injured, not to mention limited amount of time this team played together and one of worst bench in the league. Normally meetings are done, problems addressed, time is given to improve performance.

first & foremost I’m trully disappointed with how the lakers started this season suffice it to say it is understandable because team chemistry is not developed overnight. The laker Franchise should have given Mr. Mike Brown ample time to develop that! I sincerely wish him the best and it was an honor to have him coach a superb franchise like THE LAKERS!
#OneLove!

haha they recruit Howard and Nash, lose 4 games out of 5 and blame the coach … How ridiculous. Ballhog Kobe strikes again and people keep bating at him … Fire the hog first, welcome the results next. Stop being hypocrites LA people PLEASE

Mike was lost. He lost one season on learning defense. He lost preseason and start of the season on Princeton offence while having one of the best pick and roll PGs . He is not a winner. Get Jerry Sloan please!!!!!!!!!

Bring back Phil Jackson or Brian Shaw. Consider Jerry Sloan, Nate McMillan or Mike DiAntoni. Give Nash full control of quarters 1-3and Kobe full control of the 4th. The bench players (especially Jamison) needs to wake up. Jordan Hill, Devin EBanks and Steve Blake have done well so far. It was a mistake for Brown to cut mini-mamba Goudelock he was a fearless deep scorer. Goodluck L.A. Lakers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Players are to blame in this latest episode of LA Garbage… You have the best imitations in the League in Shaq and MJ!! I mean Kobe and Howard and you only win one game to start the season… LOL Them guys must not be that damn good then huh?? The Heat have a guy that sits on the bench in coaches spot and his team wins without him doing too much other than calling a time out once in awhile.. What’s wrong with the robots in LA?? They need to be coached and you have some guy 24 that LA fans love and he can’t lead a thing..They are aging in LA! The only win they got was from Detroit so far and Harden did them almost by himself! LA is burning again! Who will get blame this time after another coach steps in and still gets same result?? When does it fall on that 24 character he’s been ducking blame for sometime now!! I’m sure looking forward to him retiring, proudly with my MJ jersey on and my James and Durant jersey in my clutches!

MIke Brown should have known Kobe would not tolerate losing and should have kept the only offense Kobe knows the Triangle offense where Kobe by design has the ball and is the star. The Lakers owner really makes himself look like he really does not control his team Kobe does but didn’t want it known so he takes the blame for firing Brown so its no surprise but never thought Kobe would panic but his recent statement of “Shut up” to the media really shows how losing got under his ego skin.

Oh well if the Lakers continue to lose then we will really know that is was not the quality of the Coach but the quality or lack of talent behind the starting 5 and 6th man off the bench. Kobe is on notice now and will need to ensure the Lakers start to win even if takes risking injury related damage to himself. I don’t see Phil Jackson coming back or Sloan mainly because he put up with Kobe and Kobe will want to be told how to play so really Brian Shaw is the best choice in my opinion.

Some might think that this decision was hastily made. However, the combination of this year’s regular season (so far) + the preseason + the performance at the end of last year = enough games to make a decision. Jackson might think about it for awhile, but doubtful he will return (but one never knows). Shaw might deserve a shot, but that might de facto declare this season as a rebuild. Sloan is hard-nosed, fiery, and experienced. He might be just what the Lakers need to get them going.

Don’t matter if they bring Jerry Sloan or Phil Jackson they will still lose. This team is tool old to compete with the younger and faster teams like OKC and the Heat. Heat all the way!!! I say REPEAT!!

Honestly though Lakers fan, you guys have a lot of problems. The coach is NOT the issue! Your team is full of aging and injured old men who are getting beat DOWN by youth. You should have adapter like San Antonio. Toss Artest, Gasol, Kobe, and fill ALL of those positions with youth.

The lakers need a creative coach to utilize the point system that the Lakers have. I say Mike D. Although he didn’t have a great showing in New York, I feel like with the experience that Nash has with him and the type of offence that they run, it would be perfect. Howard can stress defence all the while, you are letting your starts play like they want. Give Nash the reigns and let him steer.

When you combine the pre-season with the regular season this year, and the playoffs last year … that is a large enough sample size to determine that Brown just wasn’t pulling the team together. Yes, the players are responsible for hustle game in and game out, but it’s the coach who sets the tone. Jackson might consider, but I doubt he’ll return. Shaw might deserve a shot, but that might de facto declare this season as a “rebuild”. Sloan is experienced, hard-nosed, and fiery and could just be the missing link for this talented team.

I’m an ordinary fan who has observed the games and the players, but did not see any weaknesses that must be immediately addressed. My conclusion is to blame the Lakers training and their coaching staff. I think that it’s the correct more by the Lakers.
Jenny Buss must start calling Phil Jackson back to L.A.
Phil, leave the beautiful red state of Monana and enjoy the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles!

Good luck Brown. Just imagine how was Clevland good if such a coach leed them to conf.finals and even finals. If Clevland was coached by Phil those days they definitly should 6 times back to back Champs :)

make Kobe the coach since some of you believe that he is the greatest of all time and your “Mr Laker” lalaland is a joke like you have not been here before, kobe is and always been the problem! if you don’t get phil to tell kobe to shut the hell up and play his role you won’t make the playoffs! the game is more than about scoring points ! scapegoat for a spoiled so called superstar that won’t do anything but shoot! don’t ever mention him as one of the goats, he is a joke! IF HE HAD STAYED WITH THE HORNETS WHO DRAFTED HIM HE WOULD BE WHAT HE IS A GREAT SCORER WHO DOES’NT KNOW HOW TO WIN!

mike brown isn’t the problem of LA, it’s kobe! lebron made it to the finals with mike brown without having an all star calliber teammate. Lakers was forced to game 7 in the playoffs last season and did not win a single game in pre-seaon. it’s kobe’s ego who is killing the lakers. wake up LA land, kobe is nothing without good players around him, like shaq, fisher, gasol, bynum, odom and do not forget phil jackson. now they brought in nash and dwight but kobe still asking for more.

some timely decision making from Buss and no doubt, with some coaxing from Kobe.They had to do it IMO, before that 1-4 start get even worse and things really get out of hand. At team with the likes of Kobe, Gasol, Howard and Nash can surely make up the deficit but they had to act quickly to stop the rot and they have.

GREAT MOVE LAKER’S MGNT. You’ve heard my appeal..letting couch brown BOOM!!. Now the 2nd half of solving this issue.. GET PJAX or SLOAN..NO MORE NO LESS..and its gonna be a DYNASTY in d making..Good 1st -5player team, a well support 2nd team and NOW A GOOD/INTELLIGIENT COACH…do the math..championship rings are coming..lakers all day !!

For people saying we should hire Mike D’Antoni, that won’t be much of an improvement for the team. The article just said we weren’t bad offensively, especially our 5 starters but its our defense which is killing us. Sloan would probably be the best choice imo but to each his own

I wish Coach Brown the best. No coach deserves a “dagger look” from any player. Coaches should be respected. With that, I wish Kobe and the Lakers the worst, I hope they won’t not win a championship til Kobe retires, I hope Howard will become a free agent, ditch LA and go to Brooklyn. BEAT LA!!! Beat ’em HARD!!

In addition, u sound like a typical retarded Brooklyn fan. Just how do u expect them to get Howard with Lopez there? Howard wont turn down 25 extra mill, so he’s staying in LA. Which means the only way for ur precious, pathetic franchise to get him, is a sign and trade with the Lakers.

I’ll find you and give you $5000 right now if you can tell me u expect this to happen, with a straight face.

GO LAKERS!! I’m LOVING this Franchise. No need to delay the inevitable. It’s important to Win NOW, not later. You want to keep Dwiight on board and Kobe has a couple of years left. This is a dedicated franchise and LOSING is TOUGH. LA FANS are in for a treat. Kobe playing his best ball of late and with the right coach and a healthy squad, the FINALS are not out of the question.

MIKE D’ANTONI!!! Bring him in! It’s time to push the ball and bring back showtime! Put the ball in Nash’s hands and have Kobe, Dwight, and Pau get ready to run! Also, put Artest on the bench & get a quick guy who can run & also spot up & hit the 3 in the starting lineup to stretch the floor! That’s all it takes!

good…im a heat fan but i never liked mike brown since his days coaching lebron..He doesnt know how to utalize his bench and he plays his stars way too much…like how can u not play jodie meeks at least 20 mins a night he can help that bench and use jamison alitle more

Before start of the season, my pals are very excited of the LA line up and I am the only one on the other side.
I told them, LA will get wins but wont make the finals. The 1999-2000 line up of LA is stronger than that of 2000-2001 line up but the latter won the championship after Phil Jackson took over. It’s not just about the line up. Kobe will not have a championship ring if not for Phil Jackson.

Kobe will win a championship with this team with a few minor adjustments. Adjustments I have mentioned earlier. I woulds been like one of ur friends excited with the new Lakers line up and I still am. I forgot to mention, Lakers gotta man up on D too.

Sloan Left when Daren Williams ego got in the way, he won’t put up with the big egos. Phil ain’t coming for a rebuilding project. There’s no bench. Kupchak should have some HEAT put on him for not bringing in role players after getting Dwight. ie. Lou Williams G, Carlos Delfino SF etc. Look how good Atlanta is doing with Lou Williams. What coach is going to coach with no players. Management made Coach Brown is a scapegoat.

It’s about time that he was fired from being the Head Coach. The Lakers have some good bench players, Brown just don’t know how to utilize them because he keeps on introducing this Princeton Offense. Make the point guards run the ball often. Make them make plays inside.

D’antoni all the way. The Phoenix Run-and-Gun offense is what Nash loves. It will bring back Showtime. Dwight Howard will become a better version of Stodumire. Gasol, Kobe and Artest will stress defense. Having Howard, (3 time defensive player of the year) won’t hurt. D’antoni’s offense plus Kobe’s veteran leadership on defense = Lakers Championship

Mike Brown did not seem like he had ‘control’ of the team as a head coach should, especially with all that talent. I’m not sure Shaw would either as a head coach. Phil is too old to come back and so is Sloan. Only option I see is Mike D’Antione. However, I would like to see a younger PG and Nash actually coming off the bench with Antwan J and Jordan Hill. Firstly, I believe this would deepen their bench. Secondly, it would allow Kobe to be Kobe. When I say Kobe be Kobe, I mean him to take his shots, get his one on one match ups coming off screens and actually having the ball in his hands dictating plays, that’s what he does best even though he’s not a PG. Dwight and Gasol will get theirs as they should be crashing the boards, setting screens and getting open when Kobe gets doubled. This also frees up the outside shot for easy 3’s with two 7 footers crashing the boards.
Solution to the Lakers would be to hire a coach who understands that!!!
Hire Coach D’Antione and get a young legit selfless starting PG.

It’s kind of funny how all of the antiLaker fans aren’t advocating M Brown to coach their favorite team now that he’s available but say that he’s a good coach.
I would like to see Hakeem as headcoach if he’s willing and able to do so unless of course someone gives Phil a swift kick in the butt back to LA

They should get rid of the whole management rather than the coach, Mike did not bring Howard into the team, nor Nash. Obviously the former team, especially Kobe, cannot function well with these new pieces. Plus seeing as how quick they were to make a decision as huge as this one, shows that it wasn’t a decision that was thought of thoroughly, but one that was made suddely and of course, they will definitely regret it. Meanwhile I won’t be surprised if Kobe asked for this to happen. He’d rather acknowlege someone else’s faults (it’s not even a fault in this case cos Mike’s a good coach) rather than acknowledge his own. But I see right through it, Kobe is not getting any younger and let’s face it, this dude is steady declining, firing Mike won’t change that.

If Phil doens’t want to retun to the gig, I think Jerry Sloan is a good call!!! Ever since they hired Brown last season, I was really unconfortable with him there, totally lost front ultimate player such as Kobe. Jerry Sloan had Malone & Stockton only as huge great players, but maneged to make Utah a championship contenter loads of times! I think him in the Lakers would be a great fit.

I think is to early to fire that guy i don’t think the problem come from him i think is the players who don’t communicate and the season is still early Lakers have lots of new players so it gonna take a while for them to learn to play together as a team but if Lakers will really fire him and i think the better change to catchup in the league is Jeff Van Gundy former New York Knicks coach he was really good coach back then and i think Jeff Van Gundy know how to put new stars players like Nash and Howard to fit with Kobe and the Lakers’s system..

i think this was the best move the lakers could have made. i was honestly even saying this to my friends when we would talk about the lakers, that the best thing for them would be to get a better coach. mike brown isn’t a good coach, and he’s always clearly being out coached.

Unbelievably quick. What is strange is everyone knows this isn’t a bad team. It is gonna take a little time for these players to get used to playing with each other. A complete system change isn’t the only answer, L.A. needs to add depth and they need to do it quickly.

Bubba Gump loses gig. read all about it. I mean lets install the princeton offense on a team with dominant isolation players. What an idiot. no wonder theyr so tired on defense. How is he a coach in the nba. i mean how.

thank u. lol. I keep saying if they put me as coach they would be 4-1…I mean it’s not that hard to figure out, spread the d out, they have to help and someone is wide open, also run screen and roll with nash, they only have 2 of the best big men in the league

D’antoni all the way. The Phoenix Run-and-Gun offense is what Nash loves. It will bring back Showtime. Dwight Howard will become a better version of Stodumire. Gasol, Kobe and Artest will stress defense. Having Howard, (3 time defensive player of the year) won’t hurt. D’antoni’s offense plus Kobe’s veteran leadership on defense = Lakers Championship

he wasnt a good coach to begin with. why did he deserve the lakers job in the first place? because he got the cavs to the finals? lebron would of taken that team to the finals if i was coaching. he was just along for the ride

Get Tim Cone, head coach of BMEG basketball team in the Philippines. He already mastered the triangle offense or
get Shaw in replaced for Mike Brown. Time to change directions and need to get up and back on track

D’antoni all the way. The Phoenix Run-and-Gun offense is what Nash loves. It will bring back Showtime. Dwight Howard will become a better version of Stodumire. Gasol, Kobe and Artest will stress defense. Having Howard, (3 time defensive player of the year) won’t hurt. D’antoni’s offense plus Kobe’s veteran leadership on defense = Lakers Championship

L.A got to relax how come you fire a coach after 5 games same coach that did better in the postseason a season ago than his predecessor the great phil jackson. gotta give the man a chance. D.H is coming from back surgery, Nash is old and often injured, Kobe is not what he once was(see last year playoff), the bench is incredibly awfull …..can’t wait to see where they go from here…

nash is old, he cant play like a superstar like he were in phoenix , kobe isn’t his prime , metta for me is no helping the team , gasol is getting weak and dwight isn’t playing like in orlando , and the bench is horrible , the lakes aren’t get the ring this season , they need to make trades is like the knicks last year

The playoffs is all about learning your opponents after one or two game, learn from your mistakes, and come up with a strategy to win. The preseason games are not playoff games but they show how well a coach is. The Lakers got demolished 3 times by the Kings in the pre-season! Where is the improvement? Where is the “learning from your mistakes?” that he always said in the interviews post games?

I feel bad for Brown. But at the same time, he must be not doing something right. Even with last year roster, when Bynum was healthy. Phil Jackson wouldve lead the Lakers to the Finals if Bynum was healthy, but Brown didnt. Then he made all these decision earlier this season and preseason that hurt the Lakers more than helping them. He practice the bench more during the preseason then worrying about building team chemistry among the stars knowing that DH and Kobe personalities are quite opposite. Along with Nash, Gasol, Howard, and Kobe you would think it takes time to build that chemistry for them to click, so why not have the stars play as many minutes as possible in the preseason? losing 11 games straight is truly dissappointing and I dont care if ppl say the first 8 games didn’t count. Losing games make u lack of confident. Phil Jackson always try to win that first game of the season or of a series..

“Phil Jackson wouldve lead the Lakers to the Finals if Bynum was healthy,” Jesus! The last time Phil was coach of the Lakers, they got swept by the Mavs. Bynum wasn’t playing well and the team was frustrated (Barea clothesline anyone?). In fact the whole team wasn’t playing well and Kobe had to jack up shots just to keep the Lakers in the series. I wonder why they didn’t blame Jackson on that one, not that I think he’s to blame. The blame then, as it is now, should rest solely on the players’ shoulders. If they play well, the team wins. If they don’t, they lose. They should be held accountable, as well. The coach doesn’t deserve to be the sole scapegoat on this debacle.

Yo Average Joe, Bynum wasn’t healthy when Phil was coaching. Bynum never was as healthy as he was last season when he played for Mike Brown. The players do need to be accountable but in this case, it’s clearly the coach’s fault. You got so many talents on the team, even if they play without coaching, they can still beat the worse team in the West Conference. But instead, they got demolished 3 Times by the Kings. It’s gotta be the coach and his system thats messed with the player’s mind, keeping them from their true abilities.

I guess now the Lakers are going to destroy everybody. I want to see what the excuse is going to be from now on. The Lakers fans are a bunch of whiners…No wonder Kobe calls Lakers fans dumb and stupid (well deserve)

Scott is in CLeveland. Johnson is in Brooklyn. Sloan may want to coach the Lakers but not Phil. I bet he retired because he got tired of the drama in Lala Land. No way he’s going back with the current players the Lakers got.

As a Lakers fan, I’m stunned and at the same time hoping for a better season for the Lakers and I hope the chemistry and depth of the team will work out the soonest. For me it’s 50-50 chances to bring back Phil Jackson, they could possibly hire a coach that is expert in triangle offense and the system of the Lakers…

For the last time, the triangle wouldn’t fit Nash. Nash would be useless in the triangle, except in a shooter’s role. You have an elite point guard who can run the pick and roll all day long, use him well. The only man who will benefit from the triangle is Kobe because he still wants to be the first option on offense, unlike if the Lakers run pick and roll where he would be at least the third option.

Hire Sloan if you want some killer Nash/Howard pick and rolls. He made D-Will/Boozer look like a superstars when they actually decided to listen to him. Sloan is a tougher coach that can whip some discipline into the Lakers and will not tolerate Howard “superstar” antics. I’m a Jazz fan, but I would happy for Sloan if he can finally get a ring with a big market team, even if its the dreaded Lakers 0__0

This is why I don’t like the Lakers and could never be a laker fan…even if I lived in LA.
The clippers are definitely LA’s team in my book. Now why would they fire Mike Brown, even if his princeton offense is a bad idea for the team, a warning would have been sufficient…or at least giving him the time to fix their issues on offense/defense.

Let’s not act like the players didn’t lose these games, it wasn’t Brown out there taking bad shots and not getting back on D.
I was never sold on this “superteam” concept anyway and it goes to show that just because you put superstars together doesn’t guarantee a winning result.

I think it is very unreasonable to fire a coach after five games, it makes no sense and any coach with half a brain will not take on such a volatile situation in LA. Coaching Kobe is like tutoring a rude and disrepectful child who doesn’t listen to begin with, so managing all these egos (Kobe, Howard) and immature superstars is a nightmare…so good luck on finding a good coach for the lakers at this point.

Maybe Brian Shaw…maybe.

But regardless of which new coach they get… I don’t see this Lakers team winning the championship…too old, too slow, too hollywood.

Coaching Kobe? Kobe coaches the team, gives them advice, and does what he can to help out. He’s the team captain. His “ego” is part of what makes him one of the best. Coaching Kobe can’t be all that bad anyway since Phil Jackson did quite a great job, and not just with the Lakers either.

Really now? I’ve heard it say Kobe wasn’t one to talk to his team, let alone “coach” his teammates. The guy’s got one of the biggest superiority complex around, which basically means he doesn’t help develop “inferior” players and hangs them out to dry. I want some of whatever you’re smoking.

I highly doubt that. They will win in the regular season. Just look at their starting lineup. They’re all elite level players. But come playoffs, if they don’t improve on their bench, the Lakers are going to get slaughtered in the West.

The Lakers are the most pathertic franchise ever.
All of their championship are meaningless to me, I dont even consider them
a real team. They are only relevant to the leage because they draw in so much money.

Kobe should retire, Dwight should leave, and kutchpak should be fired next.

I look forward to the Lakers entering the next phase of beeing bottom feeded like the mid 90’s when
Nick Van Excel was their best player.

Lakers “BOUGHT” those ‘big men’ after another team gave them their chance to shine…..good luck this time though!! Not gonna bring ANY more rings to the Dr.’s family…..sorry , but the truth hurts. If I am wrong I will be the first to admit it ….right here!!

Not surprised. I figured it would happen. Its been a long time for the Lakers to go 1-4. The clock is ticking for the team the Lakers have now to win a championship. With Kobe and Nash’s age, Dwight’s contract coming up, the Lakers team, time is now. The Western Conference has very tough competition with the Thunder, Clippers, Spurs, and Mavericks who all already have winning records currently. The Lakers need an immediate solution now.

its not just the 1-4 start the pre season games also the team looked good running the offense because they were going against the Pistons arguably the worst team in the NBA and if u include the preseason games theyre 1-12

I dont know who to blame, but i know with no Nash, no team chemistry yet and no bench…its not entirely his fault. or actually not even probably 1/10th his fault….
coach is always first to take the fall though
good luck in the future mike brown!!!

Meh it’s more than 1/10th if you ask me. The team didn’t play well LAST year either, he put in a NEW system LAST year as well and since he then CHANGED it AGAIN it obviously wasn’t working and since this new system isn’t working either you have to put the blame on the coach. Two trys, two different systems, same results.

i knew this would happen…they should have hired Brian Shaw,the guy started his coaching career with Phil jackson and been with the Lakers for a long time,more or less he has the principle of Phil and the lakers wont have to adjust to0 much…

D’antoni all the way. The Phoenix Run-and-Gun offense is what Nash loves. It will bring back Showtime. Dwight Howard will become a better version of Stodumire. Gasol, Kobe and Artest will stress defense. Having Howard, (3 time defensive player of the year) won’t hurt. D’antoni’s offense plus Kobe’s veteran leadership on defense = Lakers Championship

….Yup, it Always the coaches fault!! What a joke. The PROBLEM is AGE……. Speed……and NO chemistry. But what does one expect when you want an ‘all-star’ team instead of a “TEAM 1st” type of team . If they can’t stay perfectly healthy ….especially after the break and into the playoffs–(if they indeed make it to the playoffs)–they will have NO chance because the bench is not strong enough! Just sayin…..

You’ve got to be kiddin me , Brown was a coach that could work with superstars , unlike Mr. Spoelstra down in south beach (honestly , we all know lebron decides what happens over there) . Does anyone even remember the extremely ugly start the heat took 2 years ago?The Lakers weren’t even playin that bad .. Firing a coach after 5 games into the season , No offense to the Knicks , but they have as much basketball I.Q. down in LaLa-land as they do in New York.

i’m sure you’re black coz you keep on defending your brother. if lebron is the only reason why miami won a championship, then why does lebron has to move from cleveland away from your brother mike brown??? coach spo led miam to two nba finals and got them a championship, give credit to whom it is due and don’t disrespect other coach just to defend your brother. fact of the matter is, mike brown is not a championship calibre coach. he always fell short.

I think u are just enjoying the struggles Lakers are having right now, isn’t it true? Now Lakers surprised everyone by making changes this early, are u worried? Relax man, even as a Lakers fan, I honestly think the future of the Lakers from this point is still unknown, they can go either direction.

Wow. Cut-throat! It took everyone at least 2 years to mostly learn Phil Jackson’s Triangle offense. Brown got a pre-season and 5 games with injured starters and no bench – to teach them the Princeton offense. There are better coaches than Brown, to be sure, but hanging this debacle on him reeks. Either way, the Lakers will struggle through 2012, then they’ll make a strong run after the all-star break. But the catalysts will be healed bodies and chemistry.

it was a matter of time that Mike Brown would be fired. He was given a long leash last yrea and now this year with no wins in the preseason and now a 1-4 at the beginning of the season with all of the talent and still not able to achieve a win.

It’s about time they fire a coach that runs an offense that is not suitable for the NBA and is over his head. Brown only looked respectable in Cleavland because of Le Bron With a hall of fame point guard,Kobe and Two elite big men the Lakers could run pick and roll all day long with better results. The Defense has also been horrible especially in transition. Firing Brown is the right thing after a start like that.

According to anthropology and modern day brain scans blacks do have smaller craniums soooo that should have some impact, albeit sports aren’t exactly stacked with need of intellect… outside of the coaching position.

That’s an idiotic comment…the Lakers need to hire Byron Scott…he understands the Laker culture and his the ability to bring a defensive mentality to a squad…he brought a winnng cultre to New Jersey and New Orleans…I vote for B. Scott!

I’m sure if Doc Rivers or Alvin Gentry or even Byron Scot is available right now you’ll be one of the first to cry your heart out and comment or suggest to everyone to get them for your beloved LA.. And to J, try to be more sensible. Try to do a research and you might see that there’s a lot of black people who are successful and more intelligent than you are. Some more, sports do need IQ’s not just talent. Maybe you don’t have any talents on about any sports? Heck, you don’t even deserved to comment here. Your comment just proved everyone how ill-educated, lack of values cretin you are. Oh, and I’m not even a black but your comment is just to immature. Grow up! It’s 20th century now. Racism is just too old and too wrong.

Hmm I forgot all about jerry sloan being out there, I wonder if he would want to come back. lol he would basically have a much more athletic malone in Howard and just as good a pick and roll player in steve nash as stockton was.

are u serious with that comment? just because howard is athletic on the pick and roll doesn’t mean he can shoot the mid-range or judge certain situations. why is everybody stressing on howard being on the p&r? can’t anyone else see how gasol should be the main p&r for lakers? howard is too predictable.

Well obviously Howard is not Malone what I meant is that he’s a malone type players that excels in the pick and roll. Just like Steve nash is not stockton but they both excel in the pick and roll that’s just there play style.

Nonbiased fan sounds pretty biased. The Knicks are def not the best team, and they’ve already had plenty of time together. Best team is the Heat, coming from a Magic fan. (And a Magic management hater.)

I think it took forever: Way tool long.. This guy shouldnt have been hired to begin with. He messed up last season, he was for sure going to mess this one up too. How many seasons does it take to see that the coach cant do the job. The players had enough of him, and the city is fed up as well. The team’s play reflects all that..

Wow That was fast. This isn’t the answer! Lakers management screwed up not getting some young blood and making a better offer to Sessions to stay as backup. The big elephant in the room is Damn! They’re old and falling apart! That’s a fact that can’t change no matter who coaches.

I would give him 10 games before firing. The six game home streak would be good test to get the team working. I mean the Lakers got the offense working better then in the past two years, defence wasn´t clicking yet but with time, maybe. Too bad for him.

Won’t win a title unless they get something from their bench. You can’t ask four starters to play 38+ minutes all year and through four playoff series. Especially when two of those starters are 35 years old or older, and one of them has logged more minutes than just about any other player in the history of the league. And seriously, what’s the point of Nash in the Princeton offense? He can’t guard anyone, let alone Russell Westbrook, and if you take the ball out of his hands to run an offense…I just don’t get it. Let Nash run the offense and Kobe, and everyone else, will get his. I mean, c’mon, Nash led last years Suns team to over 100 PPG. And look at that squad. He still can’t play D, however.

D’antoni all the way. The Phoenix Run-and-Gun offense is what Nash loves. It will bring back Showtime. Dwight Howard will become a better version of Stodumire. Gasol, Kobe and Artest will stress defense. Having Howard, (3 time defensive player of the year) won’t hurt. D’antoni’s offense plus Kobe’s veteran leadership on defense = Lakers Championship

The problem with that is the triangle doesn’t need or utilize a typical Point Guard which is what the lakers have now, the triangle needs more of a scoring focused Point Guard which steve nash can shoot it but why would you not utilize nash’s great distrubiting ability.

Brown did a lot of weird things. Although I like some aspects of the princeton offense, they really should run more. Their defense was also horrid and I have no clue why he doesn’t play jodie meeks and or get jamison more involved.

D’antoni all the way. The Phoenix Run-and-Gun offense is what Nash loves. It will bring back Showtime. Dwight Howard will become a better version of Stodumire. Gasol, Kobe and Artest will stress defense. Having Howard, (3 time defensive player of the year) won’t hurt. D’antoni’s offense plus Kobe’s veteran leadership on defense = Lakers Championship

I knew it before this sesson start that the lakers going no where ..unless they putD.Haward on the bench along with gazul and let jordan hill become a starter..its a matter of who want to win hard ..not asking for media attention

excellent…thank you…The players are the ones playing like a bunch of old men after a huge thanksgiving meal. It had to have been bad blood because the players aren’t even trying out there. Incredible talent that’s incredibly lazy. They must hate Brown. But they should have told management in training camp that they weren’t going to play for Brown. That way we’d have a better start out the gate.

@purpngold What does that say about the players, then? They’re paid millions of dollars to be professionals, to play for whoever the management decides to coach them. If they’re not professional enough to play come what may, then they have no business being in the NBA. Your comment just proves that Lakers are the greatest bunch of drama queens who aren’t even professional enough to play for a good coach, even granting that they don’t want anything to have with that coach.

D’antoni all the way. The Phoenix Run-and-Gun offense is what Nash loves. It will bring back Showtime. Dwight Howard will become a better version of Stodumire. Gasol, Kobe and Artest will stress defense. Having Howard, (3 time defensive player of the year) won’t hurt. D’antoni’s offense plus Kobe’s veteran leadership on defense = Lakers Championship

They didn’t get along doesn’t mean SVG is not a good coach, what if i suggest isiah thomas for the coach? Am I a lakers haters as well? It’s just an opinion but I understand that’s how laketards think. SVG will be a long shot though, I am putting my money on mike.d but not Jerry.
What will the laketards blame when another losing streak occurs? Kobe the rapist? Dwight coward or even the fans itself? It will be an interesting season.

The Van Gundy Brothers, either one of them would be the worst choice. These guys are both Laker haters, its clearly exposed during broadcasts. Didn’t they also get fired from their respectable previous teams? Good coaches don’t get fired..

D’antoni all the way. The Phoenix Run-and-Gun offense is what Nash loves. It will bring back Showtime. Dwight Howard will become a better version of Stodumire. Gasol, Kobe and Artest will stress defense. Having Howard, (3 time defensive player of the year) won’t hurt. D’antoni’s offense plus Kobe’s veteran leadership on defense = Lakers Championship

Wow! Just an hour ago, they reported that Mike Brown was on hot seat.
Not surprised about the fact that he’s fired, but the timing and how quick it was..especially for Lakers who are known to not make snap judgement.
So, who’s going to be the next coach? Nate McMillan? Jerry Sloan?

Here are some more options. Don Nelson Sr,, Jeff Vangundy, Lenny Wilkens, Try Jerry West I know he is the GM of the Warriors, Ron Harper he was coach by Phill Jacson, Or Kareen Abdul Jabar. all sound good. But to me Jeane Buzz has to do some sweet talking to Phill to convince to get bak to coach the team.

D’antoni all the way. The Phoenix Run-and-Gun offense is what Nash loves. It will bring back Showtime. Dwight Howard will become a better version of Stodumire. Gasol, Kobe and Artest will stress defense. Having Howard, (3 time defensive player of the year) won’t hurt. D’antoni’s offense plus Kobe’s veteran leadership on defense = Lakers Championship

no matter who the lakers get as a head coach they still wont work right .kobe is not the type of guy u put all stars around him this time in his career. Hes just going to hog the ball for the remainder of his career nothing lke LBJ rightnow and never was. Too all you haters sayin fake show will already win this year.. id keep your eyes on the defendin heat to go back to back! I called it in the beginning of the season that it wouldnt work man am i right!

LA is a slow team the only way they will have a chance to get a coach who can push the game to half court to take advantage of Gasol and DH. I am a Miami Heat fan but still not happy with Spo’s coaching. Doc Rivers can always beat Spo on a game plan. Miami Heat team is way stronger than Boston but noway you are able to see it on the court.